Using the internet for hours on end can result in withdrawal symptoms similar to the ‘comedown’ experienced by drug users, scientists warned yesterday.

Researchers found spending excessive periods of time surfing the internet left people in ‘negative moods’.

And, like drug addicts, when heavy internet users go back on the web their negative moods lift.

Hooked: Scientists say people who use the internet for long periods will go through withdrawal symptoms similar to drug abusers

The research was carried out on 60
volunteers with an average age of 25 at Swansea University’s College of
Human and Health Sciences.

Scientists say the results could mean society is in for some ‘nasty surprises’ if internet use increases as expected.

Professor Phil Reed, from the
university’s psychology department, said: ‘Our results show that around
half of the young people we studied spend so much time on the net that
it has negative consequences for the rest of their lives.

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‘When people come offline, they suffer increased negative mood – just like people coming off illegal drugs like ecstasy.

‘These initial results, and related
studies of brain function, suggest that there are some nasty surprises
lurking on the net for people’s wellbeing.’

The study, published in the
international journal Plus One, is the first of its kind into the
immediate negative psychological impacts of internet use.

First, the volunteers were given a
series of psychological tests to find out their level of addiction to
the internet, their mood, their anxiety level and whether they were
depressed.

Withdrawal symptoms: The participants' feelings were similar to people coming down after using recreational drugs like ecstasy (pictured) according to the study

They were told to browse the internet for 15 minutes, then they were tested again for mood and levels of anxiety.

The study concluded: ‘The negative
impact of excessive internet use can be seen across a wide range of
aspects of the addict’s life. Internet addiction was associated with
long-standing depression, impulsive non-conformity, and autism traits.’

Using the internet had a ‘striking’
impact on the positive mood of those who were addicted to the web, and
their comedown was far more pronounced than those who used it less
often, the research noted.

And these withdrawal symptoms may
promote a vicious cycle. It said: ‘The immediate negative impact of
exposure to the internet on the mood of internet addicts may contribute
to increased usage by those individuals attempting to reduce their low
mood by re-engaging rapidly in internet use.’